BREAKING NEWS

Town projects take shape as winter winds down

BROCTON – The bid package for Brocton’s Peerless Street Bridge is still taking form, of sorts, according to a report from Portland Town Supervisor Dan Schrantz Wednesday.

After consulting with Highway Supervisor Ron Delcamp and project engineer Garrett Hacker, a question remains as to whether just the bridge materials will be bid out this spring or if it will include the formwork for the actual structure.

The town supervisor explained to the town council Wednesday, that should Chautauqua County resources be used, the county declined serving as lead agency on the bid package. Schrantz added that the town will be scheduling an additional meeting with County Director for Public Facilities, George Spanos to further discuss what options are available as an on time bid for materials is anticipated in the spring.

In other matters Wednesday, the councilmen discussed the Town of Portland Comprehensive Plan which has been taking shape over the last few years.

“The plan is basically put together; however our contacts at Small Towns Planning are concerned that we haven’t included ways that we would put future plans for the town into action. They would like us to include exactly how we would go about making those changes to the town,” stated the supervisor.

Schrantz reported that he would like reconvene the original committee members who participated in the comprehensive planning process to generate ideas of how some of the intended future plans could be kick started during a meeting later this month.

Preparing to attend the upcoming Association of Towns Annual Meeting, the council also reported on the recent audits they have conducted of town offices.

Councilmen Rick Manzella and Al Valentin recently audited the offices of the town clerk and court clerk, and will be auditing the tax collection office as the year end books close out. All was to satisfaction, according to Manzella, and the office of the town supervisor and water department are yet to be scheduled for a complete audit.

The town council will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, March 12 at 7 p.m.